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February 2024 Chitra Padapuja

Jai Gurudeva!

Today was the Chitra nakshatra and our monthly padapuja to Sivaya Subramuniyaswami's tirvadi in Kadavul Temple.

"You become everything when you merge in Siva, but you are no longer you." - Gurudeva

Winter in Siva’s Gardens/Nepalese Rudrakshas

It's another brutal Kauai winter, with temperatures plummeting below 60 degrees on rare occasions. Even in those extreme conditions, Kauai plants sing their little songs and surrender their gifts of color and beauty for pilgrims to enjoy.

Yesterday we stumbled on one of our two Saraca indica trees in bloom. After some 25 years, it is flowering freely, not phased by the 68 degrees morning temperature. It is a famous tree in India, a sacred one. Pujaris love it, so efficient--you can pluck a single flower and have 300 florets to offer to Siva.

To celebrate this event, we offer other blossoms and plants that are happening now. At the end of the slideshow we see the first sprouting of the Rudraksha trees from Nepal, the miraculous expression of life.

Remember the adage (whose source is apparently lost in time):

"That nation is great in which the elders plant trees under the shade of which they will never sit."

The Evolution of Consciousness, Part Two

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.

"As it is said, “What goes up must come down.” This is especially true with the kuṇḍalinī śakti moving through either of the other of the two wrong channels, where it can produce “dis-ease”—discomfort, physically, emotionally, intellectually and astrally—that no doctor’s effort can fathom the cause of or effect a cure. At various junctures, as it rises, the kuṇḍalinī śakti, or serpent power, attacks the organs in the vicinity of the chakra it is passing through, biting and poisoning them on the astral level. As it climbs, each one of the astral organs is hurt and felt as a physical ailment. This often reflects as a symptomatic problem in the kidneys, then stomach problems and later heart problems and thyroid difficulties. At each juncture, the doctor would be perplexed by the ailment, unable to find a medical cause, then doubly perplexed when that problem leaves and the next one arises. Though treatments and multiple tests are more than often given, the source of the problems is usually undetected."

Granite Bell Tower Installation Part 2

Acharya Kumarnathaswami and Aditya Vinadhara have continued working nearly every day on the meticulous assembly. Today they expect to finish screwing in the wooden roof boards, having waited for more 6-inch stainless steel screws to arrive in the mail. If all goes according to plan, they will hoist the bell into position tomorrow.

Serving the Dharmic Religions #3 – Sikhism

Over the last year, our publications team in Kauai has been quietly working on a sizable side project sponsored by the Uberoi Foundation. The project is intended to assist in the presentation of the four Dharmic faiths, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, as per the foundation's goal. This particular video is meant to teach about the Sikh religion in California 6th grade social studies classes. The Hollywood Sikh Temple was founded in 1969 by Dr. Amarjit Marwah on the 500th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak. The present building was completed in 1996. A small group of students visited the gurdwara (House of the Guru) and were asked to remove their shoes, wash their hands and don head coverings. A temple guide then explained the three key principles of the Sikh faith: Remember God in everything you do, share with others before you share with yourself and earn an honest living by being honest. The students were given an overview of the origins and beliefs of the Sikh faith as they toured the temple.

Directed by Mainak Dhar, Produced by Gabriel Bruskoff.

Many Forms of Siva

Gurudeva would often tell us that "Siva is coming today, in some of His many forms." He saw each visitor as Siva in yet another form.

Today we share some of Siva's forms. Visitors from Canada and a local group called the Master Gardeners of Kauai.

One of the Master Gardeners recorded some of the stories shared by Sadasivanathaswami. It's a bit long, 32 minutes, but has some interesting insights into the magic land Gurudeva created. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9v4xBAb5A8

The Evolution of Consciousness, Part One

Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami gives his weekly upadesha in Kadavul Temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery in Hawaii. It is part of a series of talks elaborating on the inspired teachings of Satguru Śivaya Subramuniyaswami as found in his book Merging With Śiva.

"In mystic cosmology, the seven lokas, or upper worlds, correspond to the seven higher chakras. The seven talas, or lower worlds, correspond to the chakras below the base of the spine. Man is thus a microcosm of the universe, or macrocosm. The spine is the axis of his being, as Mount Meru is the axis of the world, and the fourteen chakras are portals into the fourteen worlds, or regions of consciousness. The actinodic life force within the sushumṇā current runs up and down the spine and becomes very powerful when the iḍā and piṅgalā, or the odic forces, are balanced. Then man becomes completely actinodic. He doesn’t feel, in a sense, that he has a body at that particular time. He feels he is just a being suspended in space, and during those times his anāhata and viśuddha chakras are spinning and vibrating. When, through the practice of very intense, sustained states of contemplation, he merges into pure states of superconsciousness, the iḍā and the piṅgalā form a circle. They meet, and the pituitary and the pineal glands at the top of the head also merge their energies. This produces deep samādhi."

Serving the Dharmic Religions #2 – Jainism

Over the last year, our publications team in Kauai has been quietly working on a sizable side project sponsored by the Uberoi Foundation. The project is intended to assist in the presentation of the four Dharmic faiths, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, as per the foundation's goal. This particular video is meant to teach the Jain religion in California 6th grade social studies classes. The Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC) located in Buena Park, California, is a non-profit religious organization to pursue a goal of practicing, promoting and preserving the Jain religion. Started in 1979, the present center of 13,000 sq. ft. was opened in 2008 to accommodate the growing Jain population. The exterior design of the center is inspired and reminiscent of ancient Jain temples of Delwada, Ranakpur and Paliana Tirths. Carved Jesalmer yellow limestone was designed and produced in India for the exterior of the building, and the interior uses natural stone including white marble and colorful granite. Each video will allow students to experience these temples as a digital school tour, when visiting them in person might not be possible.

Directed by Mainak Dhar, Produced by Gabriel Bruskoff.

Hibiscus Transplanting

Out near Hanuman and the rudraksha grove lies a huge pile of dirt brought in by the state project due to widening the main road. We are hoping their team can push the dirt south into the pasture so we have room to work on the parking lot preparations. There is a berm behind this pile with 200 feet of hibiscus planted, so we spent two mornings to transplant nearly 70 plants to another location near the monastery main buildings. Now the space is cleared for the dirt pile to be moved over.

Archives are now available through 2001. Light colored days have no posts. 1998-2001 coming later.

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